Central Europe
ZEAL Announces Successful Start to Fiscal Year 2023
ZEAL, the leading German online provider of lottery products, has made a successful start to fiscal year 2023. This is evidenced by the key figures from the company’s first quarterly report.
ZEAL continued to expand its customer base by adding 143 thousand registered new customers. The CPL (cost per lead) of EUR 36.77 fell slightly year-on-year (2022: EUR 38.09).
The transaction volume increased by 11% to 201.2 million euros (2022: 181.2 million euros). This resulted in sales revenues of 26.7 million euros – an increase of 6% compared to the previous year. The company’s gross margin of 12.4% was 0.5% below the previous year’s level (2022: 12.9%) due to the product mix. Overall, ZEAL was able to increase EBITDA by 0.4 million euros to 9.3 million euros (2022: 8.9 million euros). EBIT also exceeded its prior-year figure at 7.1 million euros (2022: 6.8 million euros). Due to a EUR 0.8 million increase in tax expenses, net profit for the period decreased to EUR 4.4 million (2022: EUR 5.0 million).
The dividend proposal of 3.60 euros per share was also adopted at ZEAL’s Annual General Meeting on May 9, 2023 in Hamburg.
Probably the most important highlight for the ZEAL Group so far in 2023 was the long-awaited granting of permission to offer virtual slot games (online games) by the Joint Gaming Authority of the Federal States (GGL). With the granting of the permit, the market leader for online lotteries in Germany enters a new market segment and achieves an important milestone for the further expansion of its business.
Another milestone for ZEAL is the company’s membership of the World Lottery Association (WLA). The WLA is a world organization of state-licensed lotteries, sports betting providers and suppliers. Admission to this circle demonstrates the online market leader’s high industry reputation and commits the company to compliance with WLA standards for social responsibility, responsible gaming, security and risk management.
For the fiscal year 2023, ZEAL still plans to expand its market leadership as an online provider of lottery products and to launch new products, including virtual slot games under the newly obtained license. In this context, the company continues to expect a billings volume in the range of EUR 800 million to EUR 830 million for the Germany segment – assuming an average jackpot development. In addition, ZEAL continues to expect revenues to be in a range of EUR 110 million to EUR 120 million in fiscal year 2023. For EBITDA, the company expects a range of EUR 30 million to EUR 35 million. The online market leader again plans to invest significantly more in new customer acquisition than in the previous year and expects marketing expenses of between EUR 34 million and EUR 39 million.
“We are pleased with the strong start of the year and are proud of the milestones achieved and the positive development of our key figures. In particular, receiving the long-awaited permission to offer virtual slot games opens up new opportunities for us to further expand our business,” Jonas Mattsson, Chief Financial Officer of ZEAL Network SE, said.
Central Europe
Evoplay enters Czech market with exclusive Fortuna collaboration
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has made its debut in the Czech Republic through an exclusive collaboration with leading operator Fortuna.
As part of the agreement, 39 of Evoplay’s top-performing games, including popular titles like Penalty Shoot-out and The Greatest Catch, are now available to Fortuna customers in the Central European country.
The collaboration not only introduces Evoplay’s diverse portfolio to the Czech market but also solidifies the company’s commitment to expanding in key territories.
Fortuna, a Fortuna Entertainment Group (FEG) brand, is a prominent online casino operator in the Czech market, and the partnership offers Evoplay a solid platform to reach more local players, supporting both companies’ growth objectives.
The strategic move marks a significant milestone for Evoplay, as it becomes the studio’s inaugural partnership in the market with plans for further expansion.
Ihor Zarechnyi, CBDO at Evoplay, said: “Breaking into the Czech market with an exclusive partner like Fortuna underscores our strategic vision for regulated markets. We’re thrilled to bring our diverse content offering to Czech players and are confident this collaboration will yield outstanding results.”
Myke Foster, Group Head of Commercial Gaming Operations at FEG, said: “This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering best-in-class entertainment and exceptional gaming experiences to all FEG customers, with Evoplay providing a broad content portfolio proven with players around the globe.”
“We are thrilled to be the first operator to take Evoplay’s titles live in the Czech market, and we anticipate a new level of engagement among our local audience.”
Central Europe
Amusnet Partners with Kajot Intacto
Amusnet proudly announces its strategic partnership with Kajot Intacto, a prominent Central and Eastern European gaming market operator. This collaboration aims to enhance players’ gaming experience by combining Amusnet’s cutting-edge offerings and diverse game portfolio with Kajot Intacto’s established market presence and expertise.
“At Amusnet, our focus is on enhancing player engagement and satisfaction, and our partnership with Kajot Intacto exemplifies this dedication. By utilizing the operator’s established market presence, we can effectively introduce our diverse portfolio of games to a wider audience in Slovakia. As we begin this collaborative journey, we are committed to evolving our offerings and remaining at the forefront of market trends, ensuring we meet the needs of players now and into the future,” said Irina Rusimova, Chief Commercial Officer at Amusnet.
“We are pleased to announce the addition of Amusnet as a valued game provider for our players. Renowned for its classic games enhanced with innovative features, Amusnet aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering quality gaming experiences. Notably, the most popular game at Kajot Intacto is 100 Burning Hot, which exemplifies Amusnet’s signature style and underscores our dedication to offering engaging content to our player base,” said André Kruf, Sales Director at Kajot Intacto.
On Kajot Intacto’s platform, Slovak players can find some of Amusnet’s top-performing games, such as Hot Deco, 20 Golden Coins, Great 27, 100 Power Hot, Extra Crown, 100 Super Hot, 100 Burning Hot, Aztec Forest, Fruits & Gold, 20 Hot Blast and other top-notch titles like Secrets of Sherwood, Candy Palace, and Drops of Water.
Central Europe
NOVOMATIC builds the Group’s largest photovoltaic system in Lower Austria
NOVOMATIC has underscored its clear commitment to sustainability by installing the Group’s largest photovoltaic system. More than 4,600 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the headquarters in Lower Austria, covering a total area of 20,000 m2 and ceremoniously commissioned in the presence of Lower Austrian Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, NOVOMATIC’s Executive Board and the mayor of Gumpoldskirchen, Ferdinand Köck.
The PV system, with a size equivalent to three football pitches, will produce around two million kilowatt-hours of electricity every year, thereby enabling the company to meet a substantial portion of this location’s annual energy needs. In addition to being used in the offices and production facilities, this green electricity will also find its way into the company’s dedicated charging stations for its fleet of e-vehicles. It is a similar situation with international subsidiaries in countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania, North Macedonia, Bosnia, Poland, South Africa and Australia, which are already meeting substantial portions of their electricity needs from dedicated PV systems.
State Governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, emphasizes “Lower Austria is a pioneer in efforts to develop the use of wind energy and photovoltaics. Half of all the wind power produced in Austria and a quarter of all the country’s photovoltaic electricity already comes from Lower Austria today. We can do this because many companies do their bit to ensure the green and sustainable future of the state’s economic engine, investing in the development of renewable energy sources. Thank you for this investment and the trust placed in the economic hub that is Lower Austria.”
“The completion of the Group’s largest photovoltaic plant is not just a key milestone in the sustainability strategy of NOVOMATIC AG, but it also means we have sent a clear signal of our intentions to foster a strong and efficient energy future. After all, it is only by taking responsibility that business success can be guaranteed in the long term,” says the Executive Board of the NOVOMATIC AG Group.
Installing the new PV system on already built-up areas helps NOVOMATIC to consistently reduce its carbon footprint, and enabling it now to save more than 1,100 tons of CO2 emissions every year, the equivalent of 90,500 trees compensating for CO2. The concept of “Going Green” is firmly anchored in the company’s comprehensive ESG program as Europe’s leading gaming technology group. In addition to its work to expand the use of photovoltaics across the Group, the company is also focusing its attention on monitoring resources and expanding e-mobility, all with a view to permanently cutting international CO2 emissions.
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